Improvement in car-starters



H. SCHREINER.

I CAR-STARTER.

No.185,648. Patented Dec. 26,1876.

THE GRAPHIC CD NY.

UNITE STATES PATENT FFIGE.

HENRY SGHREINER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-STARTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1 85,648, datedDecember 26, 1 -576; application filed November 25, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY SOHREINER, of the city of Philadelphia, in theState of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inOar-Starters, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper side of the platform of arailway-car having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2, a plan view ofthe under side of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a vertical longitudinal section ofthe left-hand inner side of the platform, and a side elevation of myinvention applied thereto.

My invention relates more especially to the invention described in theLetters Patent granted to me for a car-starter-No. 112,640- dated March14,1871, in which four of the wheels, or two at each side, of the carare required to be operated upon simultapeously, in order to start thecar forward, and, consequently, when applied to the usual fourwheeledhorse-cars, the said starter cannot be constructed and applied to startthe same car forward alternately in opposite directions.

The object of my present invention or improvement is to provide a muchmore simple and durable car-starter, and, also, that will admit of beingapplied either singly or in pairs, as it may be desirable that the "carshall be capable of being started forward at one end only, or at eitherend, as occasion may require.

In the drawings, the car-starter is shown as applied to the left-handside of the platform, and the car as ready to be started forward in thedirection of the arrows thereon, A being the platform of the car; B andB, the forward and rear axles, respectively, provided with the usualflanged car-Wheels. Near the forward car-wheel G is adjustably fixed tothe axle B a ratchet-toothed wheel, D. This ratchet-toothed wheel D isin two semicircular parts, bolted firmly together around the axle B, andthen rigidly fixed thereto by an ordinary wedge-key, 1, (see Fig. 3,)with the teeth on the upper edge of said wheel D inclining toward therear end of the car, as shown in the same figure. The rack-bar E hasonly three teeth, 3, projecting from its under side, and each of theminclined toward the forward end of the car, and all adapted to gearaccordingly into connection with any corresponding teeth of theratchet-wheel I). This rack-bar E has its rear end supported nearly in ahorizontal position above the ratchet-wheel D by means of a jointed rod,e, which connects with a weighted J lever, F, that turns on apivot-fulcrum, 4, in a short projection or ear, 5, at the under side ofthe platform A, and also on a rounded cross-bar, V, of the platform,substantially as represented in Fig. 3, while the opposite end of saidrack bar E is supported by a chain, c, that passes or extends alongtherefrom against and past the right-hand side of a verticalguide-roller, 6, thence under and partially around the larger diameterof a horizontally-arranged cylinder, 7, to which the end of said chain cis permanently fixed. The smaller diameter of said cylinder is aboutone-half the diameter of the former, and to this part another chain, c,is rigidly fixed by its rear end, so as to pass over and about twicearound the said part. lts forward end is passed down and undertriction-roller 9, past friction-roller 9 to the groovedeccentrically-curved or cam end g of a toothed sector, G, where it ispermanently attached. The said sector G is secured so that it may beoscillated horizontally at the under side of the forward end of theplatform A, it being secured by a nutted screw-bolt, g,

which also serves as its fulcrum. The teeth of this sector G correspondswith the teeth of another sector, G, which is secured in like manner bya nutted screw-bolt, g, to the under side of the platform A, so as tooscillate and co-operate with sector G, as represented in Fig. 3. Thesectors G and G being levers of the first order, the power end of G haspivoted to it a draw-bar, g, which extends forward, through an oblonghorizontal opening in the forward end of the platform A, far enough topermit of an easy attachment or detachment of the usual single or doubletrees of a horse-power, or of the coupling-link of a steam-power engine,as occasion may require either the one or the other to be used.

In the opening there are two horizontal friction-rollers,10 10, and thedraw-bar 9 passes between them, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. Theweighted arm of lever F must be sufficiently preponderant to draw therackbar E, with its connecting-bars and chains, together with the usualsingle or double trees, backward, when the bar 9 is not being drawn uponin a forward direction, as represented in Figs. 2 and 3. The slidingrack-bar E has a pin or projection on its upper side, so placed thatwhen it comes in contact with the crossbar H in the upright frame of thecar, serves to stop the further backward motion of the lever F, and thusholds it in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3; and a stud, 2, underthe forward end of A, serves as a firm stop for the draw-bar 9 whenpulled out to its limited extent either in starting or in pulling thecar on an up grade of the track. The object of making the cylinder 7, asshown, is that the longitudinal movements of the draw-bar 9 shall not begreater in extent than about half that required in the rack-bar E ineither starting, drawing, or stopping the car. On the outer or left-handside of the forward part of the draw-bar E there is a cam'projection,11, fixed, which, when the said bar is being drawn farther forward afterits teeth 3 have left the teeth of the ratchet-wheel D passes alongagainst the inner or right-hand side of the vertical guide-roller 6,which latter throws aside the said rack-bar suificiently to prevent itsteeth 3 from coming in contact with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel Dduring the return-motion of the rack-bar to its position of rest on thecross-bar V, as shown in Fig. 3.

In the operation of starting the car forward from a state of rest, thehorses or other motive power used draw the bar 9' outward from itsposition shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and thus eventually bring the teeth 3of the rack-bar E into gear with the teeth of the ratchetwheel D on theaxle B, and compel a forward rotary motion in all the track-wheels ofthe car, thus reducing the power which would be required to start thecar by pulling directly on the platform of the same proportionately tothe amount of leverage gained by the cooperation of the twosector-levers G G and the eccentric g in connection with the leverage ofthe ratchet-wheel D, less the difference between the radii of cylinder7. When the car has been started, and the draw-bar E is still beingpulled upon to draw the car onward, the power-arm of sector-lever G willcome in direct contact with the stud, and thus relieve the startingapparatus in rear thereof from all strain except that produced rearwardby the weighted lever F; but when the pull upon the draw-bar ceases, orwhen the car and horses or other motive power are at rest, the weightedarm of lever F pulls the bar 0, rack-bar E, chains 2" e", and draw-bar gbackward into the respective positions shown in Fig. 3, ready for againbeing brought into action for starting the car forward.

It will be seen that my present invention is much more simple and lesscostly in construction, and quite as effective, if not more so, for thepurpose than my former car-starter, patented, as aforesaid, in 1871;and, moreover, that, as my present starter requires only a narrowportion of the platform of a car, and this portion at one side only, tocontrol a car intended to run exclusively in one direction on the track,it can readily be applied to the opposite side and platform at the sametime, and thus provide for running the car in either direction, ifdesired.

1 claim as my invention The sliding rack-bar E, the weighted lever F,connection 6, or its equivalent, the vertical guide-roller 6, thecylinder 7 on the shaft 8, the friction-rollers 9 9', chains or ropes ee, toothed eccentric G, sector-lever G, drawbar g, stud or stop 2,friction-rollers 10 10, and the divided ratchet-wheel D on the axle B,the said parts being constructed and arranged to operate in combinationwith the bottom frame and wheels of a car, substantially as and for thepurpose hereinbefore set forth and described.

